Arizona State University

High-Speed Rail Adoption in America

Jacob Leonard
lenny

HST318
Valerie Adams
03/18/2015

Leonard 1
Consider the idea of traveling from Phoenix to San Diego or Pittsburgh to New
York City in under two hours; or imagine a cross-country trip from New York City to Los
Angelesallowing one to both tour the North American country, all while making
excellent time, with more leg-room, at an affordable price. The United States must take
advantage of rail. It must invest not only in intra-city commuter systems, but also
interstate long-distance travel. There are more practical advantages ranging from cutting
vehicular pollution, offsetting traffic-congestion, and reducing dependency on oil for
gasoline among others that will be discussed; yet as of now, interest on large scale rail
investment remains somewhat uncertain.
By renewing rail infrastructure, it would not be the first time the United States
made large, long-term investments in its infrastructure. In 1956, President Eisenhower's
proposed Interstate Highway system had begun construction, an artery of efficientlyconnected roads reaching out across state lines and connecting major cities. The system
was quite costly and took many decades to finalize; and yet it came to be a resounding
success. The interstate system helped stimulate the post-war economy in the short-term
while yielding strong results in the long-term (Frequently Asked Questions).
TECHNOLOGY
To garner a perspective on the present and what might be crafted out of the future,
it is important to learn the technological foundation. Many of these technologies connect
with more advanced concepts in rail today. The development of the rails and the train
that rides upon them are two separate but complementary innovations in themselves.
Prior to the more picturesque self-propelled locomotives, there first existed wooden rail

Leonard 2
systems in Germany and Great Britain, called wagonways. Like the canals that preceded
them, the rails alonewithout a change in power-sourceincreased the maximum
capacity of horse-drawn loads, usually with respect to mine cargo two to three times over
(Flint 12-13).
The dawn of the industrial revolution was in part sparked by the development of
the steam engine. Most imagined in factories, it was the innovative breakthrough needed
to revolutionize the rail transporation at the time. Prototype steam-based locomotives
were being introduced a mere two decades after Watt's reciprocating steam-engine debut
in 1781. Thereon, rail transportation continued to serve as a great vessel to utilize the
large engines (Richard Trevithick's Steam Locomotive).
The gauge, or width, of the tracks was another hurdle for rail systems. With
competing railway companies, "private interests can diverge from social interests" as one
article mentions. This lack of standardization among the tracks reduced the capability
overall in terms of speed and cost. In many cases, a large number of workers were
employed to re-fit carts or swapping cargo to another train. Nonetheless by the late 19th
century with the expansion out West and the North's victory of the Civil War, adoption of
the 4' 8.5" gauge became standard (History in Motion...).
Another ingenious technology comes with respect to how the wheels interact with
the rails (Appendix A). When a modern automobile makes a turn, each wheel turns
independently of the other via rear-differential gear systems. Thus the outside wheel turns
at a faster rate than the inner-wheel (Rossouw). Railcarts do not have this luxury and
instead have a stiff-axle connecting the the pair of wheels. As such, this presumably

Leonard 3
increases the risk for derailment, friction and slip, and overall wear on both the wheels
and rails. The first known patent to circumvent the consequences of a locked-axle going
into a turn was from James Wright in 1829; though there are reports dating back much
earlier in England. The design suggested a tapered wheel, flanged at the end. When a
train enters into a turn, the entire wheel-set slides outward due to the centrifugal force
like a driver who leans when making a fast turn in a car. This is similar to the rear
differential due to the diameter of the outside wheel being now larger, and the innerwheel subsequently smaller. The flange merely acted as a last-resort safety device (White
526).
Thus combined with better quality and standardized railthereby combining the
complementary reduced friction of a rail-system and the exploitation of momentum,
along with a massive increased power-source, a vastly more efficient long-distance
source of transportation was born. Progressing onward came the use of purely electric
locomotives, not including the centralized power-plant from which the electricity is
received. The electric trains held a key advantage over their steam counterparts by
producing less noise and less air pollution. Siemens & Halske trialled the first electrified
rail system in Berlin in 1879. From there it continued to be utilized largely in the form of
trams, trolleys, and subway systems for intra-city travel (Hebestreit).
Years later with the competition of self-generating diesel-electric locomotives, it
took considerably longer for heavier modes of rail to change to a purely electric model.
With strong adoption of electric rail in the 1980s, there was little doubt over its
advantages, provided the infrastructure was built. Author William Hay compares the two

Leonard 4
systems, observing that in addition to having the flexibility of cleaner and more efficient
power-sourcesparticularly away from city centers, "electrics can pack more
horsepower into a given volume and track length of locomotive, thereby giving an
improved horsepower per ton of weight ratio and better operating adhesion[...] ( 137).
Over time, with advancements in understanding alternating current (AC), rail
systems changed from direct current (DC) to AC. One primary advantage to AC is its
efficiency over long distances. Unlike DC which is capable of "up to about 3000 volts,"
AC can transmit at voltages up to 50,000. In doing so, this reduces the size of the current
required to supply the same amount of power, thereby cutting costs from wire-size and
energy waste (Carbino et al.).
The dawn of the bullet train began with the shikansen train in Japan during the
1960s. Its first production train coined the term for its conical nose to reduce air friction.
Aptly known as the 0 series, reminiscent of the name of Japan's fighter-planes, its
designer was the lead engineer of Japanese fighter-planes during World War II. Applying
the aerodynamics used with airplane development allowed the Shinkansen to reach
speeds previously unreachable and thus set a new record. This was a groundbreaking
development and became standard for high-speed rail designs in many other countries
(Shinkansen).
In spite of these advancements, the United States sits firmly in last place with
embracing high-speed passenger rail infrastructure. An account of all operating highspeed trains in 2013 yielded about 2,900 globally with China approaching 1,000
operational high-speed trains. Meanwhile France, Germany, Japan and many other

Leonard 5
industrialized nations exceed hundreds, the United States is running a slower and measly
20 high-speed trains (World High Speed...). The Acela-class trains operated by AmTrak
are capable of operating in the range of 150 mph, but average much slower speedswell
below its international counterparts. This is in part a result of sharing dated tracks not
specifically designed for high-speed trains with freight trains and slower commuter trains
(High-Speed Rail: A National... 41).
As the system currently stands, freight-trains take priority in the demand for the
rail ways; and further, the tracks are often not banked as seen elsewhere in the world.
(High-Speed Rail: A National... 41). Much like a typical van, a train could derail as it
makes a turn through corners at high speeds. The Acela trains have an internal
mechanism used for stability in turns, reminiscent to the tapered wheels. The innovation
is used to account for a lack of embankments and even aid in stability where there are
banked turns by using hydraulics and tilting the train itself into the turnsimilar to how a
motorcyclist leans into a turn (All Aboard Amtrak's...). Furthermore, as seen with the
standardization of track gauges in earlier years, there is a lack of standardization with
maximum-speeds. In the United states, there exists up to nine classes of railroad suitable
for different speeds, many for which multiple types of trains congest (Track and
Rail...). Many of the current tracks in the United States are not suitable for modern-day
High-Speed Rail. In the past few years, however, there have been limited proposals to
expand these high-speed routes (High Speed rail, Jobs...)(High Speed Rail Overview)
(Appendix B).

Leonard 6
KEY ADVANTAGES
Many roads and bridges in the U.S. are in disrepair. This is in part a result of a
lack of budget and ability to keep up with the increased demand as the number of people
and vehicles on the road increase. Increased usage results in further strain and wear and
tear for the road. For example, since 1990 Iowa has seen over a 35% increase in "vehicle
miles traveled (VMT) (Iowa Transportation 3). While roads are not going away,
creating a supplementary rail network with high-speed train systems serves to alleviate
strain on road infrastructure, capable of being more effectively maintained.
Americans often waste an excorbitant amount of time due to traffic congestion or
bottlenecks. For example, in 2011, "Americans collectively lost 5.5 billion hours" due to
road-related traffic congestion. As a result, spread evenly across the driving population,
citizens spend in the range of 38 hours stuck in traffic. With this stems large amounts of
wasted fuel and overall decreases in productivity on a national scale. High-Speed Rail
can help alleviate this congestion. According to engineering firm Kimley-Horn, a railsystem can sustain a large volume:
A fully automated, driverless transit system designed for application as an urban
district circulator can provide a moderately-high capacity of up to 10,000 to
15,000 passengers per hour per direction (Automated Systems...).

Further down reads that such a rail-system effectively replaces a 10-lane

highway's throughput. The report discusses in further detail the need to construct an
infrastructure for the "last mile" of the journey; that is, the zone surrounding the primary
rail-station must have a sustained network of transit-systems allowing for passengers to
reach their destination within the local area in a timely manner. Trailing this point is the

Leonard 7
notion of reliability with a train system. Among HSR systems around the globe, there is
little deviation in arrival and departure times, and thus unlike unforeseen obstructions
from traffic to accidents on the road, one is likely to reach their destination on time
(Shinkansen).
Mitigating pollution is another incentive for HSR (High-Speed Rail). For 2014 the
United States had a per-capita green-house gas emission of 17.6 metric tonsone of the
highest in the world (CO2 Emissions). Of these emissions, about 28% were from
transportation, the second single largest source (Greenhouse Gas Emissions...)
(Appendix C). Out of transportation, more than half is due to automobile pollution,
excluding for instance freight, air-travel, and ships. In terms of both energy usage and
byproduct pollutants, rail wins on both fronts. Dependent on light or heavy-rail with
heavy-rail being more efficient, rail-transportation produces 2 to 4 times less CO2
emissions per passenger mile, mostly dependent on the efficiency of the powerplants
(Public Transportation's Role...). In terms of energy measured by BTU per passengermile, rail is two to three times more efficient than typical highway transportation (Table
4-20: Energy Intensity).
In addition to increased energy efficiency and reducing pollution, HSR is also
significantly more safe. According to the national safety council there are 16 times more
passenger fatalities per one million miles driven with automobiles than with rail
transportation (Traffic Injury FAQs). Thus rail transportation reduces pollution, cuts
congestion, is saferall the while providing it at a more affordable price. Operating at
speeds in excess of 150 miles per hour while remaining on-time and often only a short

Leonard 8
interval apart, there is little room for error in terms of safety. The Shinkansen trains in
Japan for instance are never more than 10 seconds early or late and yet "in 45 years have
never suffered a fatality based on operator error (Shinkansen).
CONCLUSION
Such a proposal is not without its drawbacks. Principally among these concerns is
the necessary budget and long-term cost. While the total cost for the interstate system was
a little over $200 billion at today's inflation-rate, former US Transportation Secretary Ray
LaHood projected a vast HSR infrastructure would cost Americans "$500 billion
(Frequently Asked Questions)(US High Speed Rail Network Map). This does not
factor in maintenance and upkeep, either, a factor considerably larger than highway
maintenance. Despite concerns, much promise exists in this truly untapped technology
that gives Americans more time and cleaner air in addition to job stimulation and
increased interstate commerce. President Eisenhower commanded that Americans were
taking what was a fragmented maze of roads and connecting them together seemlessly.
He said he wanted to remove the "antiquated shackles of secondary roads all over this
country (Frequently Asked Questions)." And so the same is required for the rail ways.

Leonard 9
Appendix A
"The Wheel on the Rail." Railway Technical Web Pages. Railway Technical Web Pages,
n.d. Web. 18 Mar. 2015. <http://www.railway-technical.com/whlbog.shtml>.

Leonard 10
Appendix B
"High-Speed Rail, Jobs, and the Recovery Act." White House. The White House, n.d.
Web. 18 Mar. 2015. <https://www.whitehouse.gov/high-speed-rail>.

Leonard 11
Appendix C
"Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Transportation Sector Emissions." EPA. Environmental
Protection Agency, Web. 18 Mar. 2015.
<http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/ghgemissions/sources/transportation.htm>

Leonard 12
Works Cited
"All Aboard Amtrak's Acela." Washington Post. The Washington Post, n.d. Web. 18 Mar.
2015. <http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/travel/features/acelaflash.htm>.
Automated Systems for Last Mile Connections at High Speed Rail Stations. Houston:
Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc., Apr. 2013. PDF.
Carbino, Timothy Jay, Malcolm R. Gassman, Jeffrey Glass, and M. H. Rashid, Ph.D. "A
Brief History and Theory behind AC, DC and Maglev Trains and Subways."
Power Symposium Conference (2005): n. pag. IEEExplore. Web. 18 Mar. 2015.
"CO2 Emissions (Metric Tons per Capita)." The World Bank. The World Bank, n.d. Web.
18 Mar. 2015. <http://data.worldbank.org/>.
Flint, Henry M. The Railroads of the United States Their History and Statistics.
Philadelphia: J.E. Potter, 1868. Print.
"Frequently Asked Questions." Eisenhower Interstate Highway System -. N.p., n.d. Web.
18 Mar. 2015. <http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/interstate/faq.htm>.
"Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Transportation Sector Emissions." EPA. Environmental
Protection Agency, n.d. Web. 18 Mar. 2015.
<http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/ghgemissions/sources/transportation.html
>.
Hay, William W. The Economics of Electrification. New York: Wiley, 1982. Print.
Hebestreit, Franz, Dr. "Siemens Presents the Worlds First Electric Railway with an
External Power Source." Siemens History Site. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Mar. 2015.
<http://www.siemens.com/history/en/news/electric_railway.htm>.

Leonard 13
"High Speed Rail Overview." Department of Transportation. Federal Railroad
Administration, n.d. Web. 16 Mar. 2015.
<http://www.fra.dot.gov/Page/P0060>.
High-Speed Rail: A National Perspective. Austin: Cambridge Systematics, Inc., Dec.
2008. PDF.
"High-Speed Rail, Jobs, and the Recovery Act." White House. The White House, n.d.
Web. 18 Mar. 2015. <https://www.whitehouse.gov/high-speed-rail>.
Iowa Transportation By the Numbers. Washington D.C.: TRIP, Mar. 2013. PDF.
Public Transportation's Role in Responding to Climate Change. Washington D.C.:
Federal Transit Administration, Jan. 2009. PDF.
"Richard Trevithick's Steam Locomotive." National Museum of Wales. N.p., n.d. Web. 18
Mar. 2015. <http://www.museumwales.ac.uk/rhagor/article/trevithic_loco/>.
Rossouw, David. How Do Trains Stay on Track? N.p.: Condensed Matter, 18 Dec. 2009.
PDF.
Shapiro, Carlo, and Hal Varian. "History in Motion - Railroad Guages: A Standards
Battle." The Railroad Network. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Mar. 2015.
<http://www.railroad.net/articles/columns/history/gauges/>.
"Shinkansen." Begin Japanology (S2E69). NHK. 13 Nov. 2009. Begin Japanology. Web.
18 Mar. 2015. <http://beginjapanology.com/episode-list/>.
"Table 4-20: Energy Intensity of Passenger Modes (Btu per Passenger-mile) | Bureau of
Transportation Statistics." Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and
Technology. Bureau of Transportation Statistics, n.d. Web. 18 Mar. 2015.

Leonard 14
<http://www.rita.dot.gov/bts/sites/rita.dot.gov.bts/files/publications/national_tr
ansportation_statistics/html/table_04_20.html>.
Track and Rail and Infrastructure Integrity Compliance Manual: Volume III - Chapter 1
[& 2] - General Provisions of the Railroad Workplace Safety Rule. N.p.: Office
of Railroad Safety, n.d. PDF.
"Traffic Injury FAQs." NSC. National Safety Council, 2014. Web. 18 Mar. 2015.
<http://www.nsc.org/learn/safety-knowledge/Pages/injury-facts-traffic-injuryfaqs.aspx>.
"US High Speed Rail Network Map." US HSR. United States High Speed Rail
Association, n.d. Web. 18 Mar. 2015. <http://www.ushsr.com/ushsrmap.html>.
White, John H., Jr. The American Railroad Passenger Car. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins UP,
1978. Print.
World High Speed Rolling Stock. Paris: International Union of Railways, 1 Nov. 2013.
PDF.